Shadow of the Past
by True Courage
Summary: Opitmus knew that he was in trouble the moment he saw them, but there was nothing they could do to protect him. So he ran. It was a choice that changed his life forever. Whether is was a good thing has yet to be seen... Beauty and the Beast Inspired
1. Chapter 1

**See? I told you I'd put it up again!**

Xxx

A few hundred years ago, a small village sprouted next to the ruins of Kaon. It was called Zirconium. It was one of the smallest villages on Cybertron, and one of the poorest, but people there were happy. Most of the older mechsh were veterans from the Great War. Everyone thrived on supporting one another and making sure that no one went hungry or without shelter. They made living out of mining a rich energon mine near the walls of Kaon. They had to give a large portion to Iacon, but the rest they kept.

This was where Optimus was born. He was of a rare kind: a mech carrier. Before the war, mech carriers made up only 20% of the population. However, they were wiped out during the war. He was the first to be born since the end of the war. Mech carriers were more sought after than femmes because the sparkling they bore were either smarter, stronger, or faster than everyone else, plus, on occasion, they sometimes developed supernatural abilities. Cybertron's greatest Primes were the offspring of mech carriers.

Upon the berth of the sparkling, the entire village made it their job to protect Optimus from the rest of the world. They knew the dangers that would arise if anyone found out about him. Optimus wasn't allowed around outsiders, as Cybertronians could sense whether someone was a sire or carrier (though many of the newer generation wouldn't understand what the readings meant). They taught him how to fight, a skill Optimus wasn't keen on learning though he excelled at it. He worked in the mines with everyone else, and although he was clumsy, he had saved more than one mech from accidents in the mine, sometimes preventing them altogether.

The village became even more fearful as Optimus grew older, especially after his parents died when a virus broke out. Optimus was tall and broad, but his face was smooth and gentle. He was fearsome and masculine when he wanted to be, but was gentle and kind most of the time. He was a beautiful mech, in both body and spark.

Someone any mech would want.

He spent most of his free time with Ratchet or at the data center. Ratchet was teaching him to take over as the village's medic when he joined the well of sparks (as that was the only way they would ever get him to retire) and he loved reading and learning of other places. He understood why he wasn't allowed to leave, but that didn't make it any easier. He wanted to see the places he read about. But, being the mech that he was, he never voiced his wants and dreams.

That day had begun as any other. He awoke early to join the others in the mine. As always, the others were very protective of him. Not only was Optimus, you know, but he was also the first sparkling to be born in Zirconium. Virtually everyone had taken part in raising him. He appreciated it, but it was still suffocating at times. He was an adult now, a fact no one seem to notice at times.

He came back with everyone else at midday. They had comeback early that day after an accident almost killed one of the mechs. Optimus was helping to carry him to Ratchet. To do so, they had to cross the center of town.

No one thought to send a messenger to the mines. They should have been in the mines all day. No one expected them to walk right through the center of town. They froze, their optics wide, staring at the red stranger. Said stranger focused in on Optimus, a dark smile on his face.

Scrap.


	2. Chapter 2

Xxx

Zeta Prime's death affected all of Cybertron. His funeral was the largest of all the Primes'. Everyone mourned his death, from sparkling to elder. There would never be another Prime like him. It took the council over a year to finally choose a Prime they believed could replace them.

It only took half a year for them to realize they had made a mistake.

Sentinel Prime appeared wise at first. He pretended to be calm and level-headed. He portrayed everything they were looking for in a Prime. No one would have thought that the mech was a fake. But by then, it was too late.

In the years since Sentinel became Prime, Cybertron had begun to crumble. The rich became richer and the poor became poorer. The number of sparklings abandoned had increased so much that many orphanages had to close down because they couldn't care for all of them. Suicide became common. Mechs and femmes were dying left and right due to starvation. But as long as the tower mechs were happy, no one would or could do anything about it.

That particular day, Sentinel had been on his way to a city on the other side of the ruins. He heard of a beautiful femme who refused to mate with anyone her father chose, or those who approached her. Of course, no one would refuse a Prime. But the ship's computers started to glitch and they had to land for repairs. Bored, Sentinel decided to visit the near by town. The mechs there stiff and nervous, and Sentinel assumed they were hiding something.

He was right of course. He was always right.

He knew the moment he saw him. His programming informed him. He was tall and broad, though not as much so as Sentinel, and was built for strength. He was the most beautiful mech he had ever seen. He had never seen such bright and innocent blue optics. As the mech froze in shock, Sentinel smiled.

He had found his mate.


	3. Chapter 3

Xxx

The stanger began to advance, seemingly oblivious to the mechs around him, who had gone on the defensive. Optimus stiffened, but refused to back down as the larger mech approached. The older mechs hadn't taught him how to fight for nothing. The stanger was just within Optimus' personal space when he stopped, smiling darkly.

"Greetings, May I ask your name?"

"Optimus," he answered without hesitation. He knew he was a breeder, so there was no way he could run. All he could do was either offend him enough to make him hate him or fight him. "Who the frag are you, ugly?"

The Stranger's face turned to one of rage before returning to a smile.

"I am Sentinel Prime," he said proudly. "And I must say, you are the most beautiful mech I had ever seen."

Optimus was surprised, though he refused to show it. The Prime?

"I have a request of you," Sentinel said. "Or rather, an order."

"And what would that be, _Prime,_" Optimus said his title with disdain, earning him a mixture of pride and shock from the other villagers.

"For you to come to Iacon with me," Sentinel said. "And become my mate."

Optimus rolled his optics and placed his hands on his hips defiantly.

"You ain't much for tradition, are you? You're supposed to court me first, get to know each other, _if _I were to agree to court you first," Optimus stated blandly. "And no, I am not."

Optimus spun around, intending to leave, but Sentinel grabbed his arm and pulled Optimus towards him. He wrapped one arm around Optimus' chest with a firm grip, making it impossible for him to run, while he began to tease the latch on Optimus' chest plates with the other.

"Unhand me, you perverted-"

"Prime!"

The Chief stormed forward and pulled Optimus from the Prime's grip.

"I see you haven't learned anything," the Chief growled.

"Oh, my dear Alpha Trion!" Sentinel purred. "I have indeed learned quite a bit, for instance..."

He grinned darkly at Optimus, a mixture of lust and insanity.

"Should a Prime desire a breeder as a mate, the breeder has no say in the matter," he said. "The moment I laid eyes on him, he was mine."

Alpha Trion growled in frustration. He was right. There was nothing he could do, except...

"Optimus," Alpha Trion said, his tone sounding as though he had given in. "Go get your things."

Optimus nodded and walked towards his house that was on the edge of the plaza. As soon as he shut the door behind him, he ran trough the house and out the back. A couple of the villagers were waiting with a bag for him. He didn't have time to say anything, just grab his bag and go. Before Sentinel could suspect anything, he had left Zirconium and was running towards the ruins of Kaon.


	4. Chapter 4

Xxx

No one was really sure when they arose. It seemed like they were always there. The Decepticons rose from among the gladiators and warriors, the poor and sick. And Megatron was their leader. He was a proud and fierce leader, known for his cruelty and mercilessness. He would kill a sparkling if it served his purpose.

Only the Decepticons knew the truth.

Megatron was harsh as were his punishments, but only those deserving of it faced his wrath. He made sure that all under him had enough energon and protected his men like they were his own sparklings, but at the same time trusted them enough to clean up their own messes unless his assistance was necessary.

To his enemies, however, he was a monster. He cared nothing about them and wouldn't flinch before having them tortured for days. The only ones spared were the sparklings, or the younglings the council were secretly forcing to fight behind the Prime's back. Megatron hated the prime, but he knew him well enough to know that had he known about what the council were doing, they would be slagged.

Eventually, however, Megatron fell. He was captured and tortured beyond anything that Megatron would ever even consider. With him out of the picture, it was only a matter of time before the Decepticons lost. Eventually, the Prime discovered what the council had done not only during the war but to Megatron, and freed him. It was than that the Prime's optics were opened to the corruption of the council, to the conditions that pushed the Cons to rebel.

Megatron knew that it was no coincidence that the Prime had died shortly after.

Megatron was found by his men and taken to the ruins of Kaon. Though he survived, the torture had left him badly mutilated. He refused to let anyone see him unless he as hidden under his cloak. Megatron was now only a shadow of the mech he once was, and his men feared he would never return to the fearless leader he once was.


End file.
